The Bureau of Immigration has reported some foreign workers have not yet downgraded their visas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The Philippines.- The Bureau of Immigation (BI)<\/strong> has reported that approximately 20,000 foreign offshore gaming workers<\/strong> are expected to leave the country by December 31. Some have not yet filed to downgrade their visas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As of November 7, 21,757 foreign nationals linked to offshore gaming operators had voluntarily changed their work visas to temporary visitor visas and 10,821 had already left the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In October, the BI issued cancellation orders for 12,106 people who had not voluntarily downgraded their visas. They must leave the country by the end of the year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, the DOLE has announced that a job fair for workers who have been displaced from internet gaming licensees (IGLs) will be held on December 6 in Calabarzon. Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) director\u00a0Patrick Patriwirawan<\/strong>\u00a0said the department is assisting former offshore gaming workers in processing their applications for unemployment insurance benefits, with 435 people having applied so far. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He said workers are being directed to the nearest Public Employment Service Office (PESO) for job placements and support with career development services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) director Winnie Quidato<\/strong> told the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality that some offshore gaming operators continue operating in the country disguised as business process outsourcing (BPO) companies to evade the ban issued under Executive Order (EO) 74<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe big offshore gaming companies that we have raided before or that existed before, we see them breaking down) into smaller groups. Some are even branding themselves now as BPOs,\u201d Quidato told the panel during the last public hearing<\/a> on illegal activities linked to offshore gaming operators. He said he hoped such \u201cguerrilla offshore gaming operators\u201d would not affect \u201cthe good image that BPOs have established in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nPAOCC claims offshore gaming operators trying to avoid detection in the Philippines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n